Match Up Notes and Players To Watch
Match Up Notes
- Brockport has the third-best scoring offense in the E8, averaging 76.2 points per game.
- Brockport averages 11.2 steals per game, the 19th-best mark nationally. Brockport’s opponents average 18.2 turnovers per contest.
- The Cardinals are fifth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 72.9 points per game. They have forced the third-most turnovers in the league (14.8 per game).
- Fisher’s opponents have shot just 29.8% from three this season, the third-worst mark in the conference.
Players To Watch
Maximus Michalski (St. John Fisher, So., F/C) – Michalski has taken a huge step forward for the Cardinals as a sophomore this season, as he leads the team in scoring (12.3 points per game), shooting percentage (53.6%, 128-of-239) and rebounding (6.4 rebounds per game). He has been a menace defensively to boot, blocking 51 shots over 26 games, good for 21st nationally and first in the conference. Michalski has posted a team-leading three double-doubles, including a 14-point, 11-rebound performance in a win over Nazareth last Tuesday. He had 15 points and 10 boards in a win over Keuka on Jan. 16 and 11 points with 15 boards in a loss to Nazareth on Jan. 28.
Mekhi Gidney (St. John Fisher, Fr., G) – Gidney has had an impressive rookie season, as he enters the E8 semifinals averaging 9.9 points (second on the team) and 3.7 rebounds (third on the team) per game. He’s shooting nearly 40% (75-of-192) and leads the Cardinals in free throws made (65-of-78) and free-throw percentage (83.3%). Over the Cardinals’ last eight games, Gidney is averaging 13.6 points while shooting 38% (35-of-92) from the field and 90% (30-of-33) from the free-throw line.
Andrew Violante (St. John Fisher, So., G) – Another underclassman who has been critical for the Cardinals this season, Violante has been strong on both ends of the court. He’s third on the team in scoring (9.4 points per game), second in assists (44) and leads the Cardinals in steals (45).
Bench Contributors – Junior guard Giovanni Schillaci and sophomore guards Alex Hayes and Jack Janes have often been productive sparks for the Cardinals off the bench.
Schillaci has scored in double figures in six games, including a career-high 16 points while shooting 4-of-4 from three and 4-of-4 from the foul line in a January win over Houghton. He’s shooting nearly 40% from three on the season and has made three or more triples in a team-leading seven games. He went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc in Fisher’s first-round win over Russell Sage.
Hayes has also been a weapon for the Cardinals from 3-point range, as he leads the team in made shots (37-of-86) and shooting percentage (43.0%) from deep. He’s fourth on the team in points per game (8.5) and has scored in double figures in 11 games. He had 19 points while shooting 5-of-7 from the field (2-of-3 from three) and 7-of-7 from the free throw line in Fisher’s last game against Brockport.
Janes averages 6.4 points on 41.3% shooting and three rebounds per game off the bench. He scored 17 points while shooting 6-of-9 overall and 3-of-6 from three against Russell Sage on Saturday. Janes also had a 17-point performance while shooting 6-of-12 overall (4-of-8 from three) against Geneseo on Feb. 6.
Janes is second on the team with 21 blocked shots and fourth with 19 steals.
Jacob Oka (Brockport, Sr., G/F) – Oka leads Brockport in scoring (13.1 points per game), rebounding (6.1 per game) and steals (51).
Pharell Aybar (Brockport, Fr., G) – Aybar has been named E8 Rookie of the Week six times this season. He’s averaging 11.4 points per game and has had 14 or more in five consecutive games, including 29 against Fisher on Feb. 7 and 23 against Geneseo on Feb. 17. He’s also leading the Golden Eagles with 84 assists.
